Track-scraper for railroads



(No Model.)

H; M. LITTELL.

TRACK SGRAPER FOR RAILROADS.

No. 320,268. Patented June 16, 1885.

y e n r 0 t t drurnn STATES HARVEY MITCHELL LITTELL, OF ST. PAUL,11:14AM iub'UlA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TO HARDIN HETH LITTELL, OFLOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

TR'ACK-SCRAPER FOR RAILROADS.

:TLIECIPICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,263, dated June16, 1885.

Application filed April 20, 1 85. (No model.)

To (LZZ who/n it may concern- Be it known that I, HARvnY MITCHELL Lrr-TELL, of St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota,haveinventcd certain new and useful Improvements in 'lrack-Serapers forRailroads; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of theinvention, which will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a track-cleaner which shall beeasily and quickly operated when it is used for the removing of snow,stones, or other obstacles that would obstruct free passage over thetrack, and, further, the providing of such cleaner that wouldsuccessfully withstand sudden shocks or concussion without breaking orbecoming disconnected in any manner; and it consists in theconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as will behereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the annexedspecification and claims, taken together with the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure l is a detail perspective view, partly in section, of acar-platform to which my improvement is attached, and showing fully thenovel features. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan or inverted view of thecar-platform to more fully illustrate my invention. Fig. .3 is asectional view in detail taken on the line m, Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is adetail view of the stay brace or bar 1).

Letters of reference indicate the parts referred to throughout thespecification, in which- A represents the frame of an ordinarystreetcar.

B represents a roekshaft or support, of any suitable metal, and extendstransversely across the front of the under part of the car, and works inthe hearings or hangers S S, which are bolted to the beams 0 0. At thecenter of the bar B projects an arm, 6, formed integral therewith, andis provided at one end with the rectangular recess f.

0 represents a footlever, which is pivotally secured in the recess f,formcdin the bar e,and works in the elongated slot in, formed in theplatform N and plate which is designed to act as a guide for the lever.At the upper end of the lever is formed a groove, 0', adapted 5 5 toengage with the ratchet a, to keep the scraper elevated above the trackwhen its serviceis not needed.

It is possible in many instances for the lever O to become disconnectedfrom the ratchet a,

caused by sudden jars when descending grades, which would result in thedropping of the scrapers, and without timely warning might causeaccident. lherefore, to prevent this, I

provide a wedge or key, I), to fit tightly in that 6 portion of the slotat left vacant by the lever when the scraper or cleaner is disengaged,as in Fig. 3. To the wedge is attached a chain, c, which. is secured tothe dash-board L for the purpose of removing the wedge and keeping itwithin convenient reach of the driver.

d d are arms formed at a diverging angle to the rocksha-ft l3, and againbent to still another diverging angle, which latter angle forms thesupport to which scrapers 26% are secured.

These arms and scrapers are retained in place coincident to the track bystay brace or bar D, which bears against the scrapers, preventing themfrom slipping and working out of place. sential features of myinvention. Heretofore the angleirons carrying the scrapers extended fromthe rock-shaft to the scrapers without any transverse support,exceptperhaps angular braces, which, as a whole, served no pur- 85 poseexcept to prevent a collapse or closing of the scrapers together, anddid not serve the purpose of stiffening the frame-work and keeping thescrapers to the track, which mine effectually does. made in such mannerthat it can be readily put onto any track-cleaner of any width. 1 makeit ordinarily of three pieces. The bracebar has two stub-end heads-oneat each endand straps which can he slipped on said stub- 5 ends over thearms carrying the scrapers, and afterward either keyed, bolted, orshrunk on the stub end of the bar. This cross-bar materially andeffectually stiffens the frame of the traekcleaner and keeps theserapcrsin IOO The stay-brace 1) forms one of the cs Thiscross-sustaining bar is 0 position, thus avoiding the objectionheretofore raised against track-cleaners of this character.

The arms (I d are secured'and held firmly at their upper ends to therock-shaft B by nuts h h.

\Vhen the services of the scrapers are not wanted, the lever is presseddown by the foot of the driver and the groove 1' brought into contactwith the ratchet (1. Then the wedge or key I) is dropped into the slotback of the lever, holding the cleaner mechanism firmly elevated abovethe track.

I am aware that track-cleaners have been in use and operated byhand-levers which are secured in proximity to the outside of thedashboard, and provided with cross-bars and angularlyset arms, withscrapers attached, and do not claim such in my combination; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a trackcleaner, the foot lever and ratchet, the plate or guide,and the wedge, in combination with the arms, substantially as described.

2. In a track-cleaner, the foot-lever, the ratchet, the Wedge and chain,the plate or guide, the stay-brace, and the oscillating frame 7 B d, incombination With the scrapers, substantially as described, and for thepurpose set forth.

3. In a track-cleaner, the combination of HARVEY MITCHELL LITTELL.

Witnesses:

JOHN I. THOMPSON, F. W. DAVIS.

